


Everything By Design

by Glitched_Fox



Category: The Property of Hate
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-26 21:49:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14411259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glitched_Fox/pseuds/Glitched_Fox
Summary: Between the ages of 5 and 13, tattoos appear on a person's skin. These tattoos glow when around one's soulmate.A performer refuses to lose hope as he travels the world, performing and searching.A scientist has locked himself away, believing that no one would want or find him.Fate is a mysterious force.------Illuminated AU is by anxious-ball-of-sunshine on tumblr.The Property of Hate and RGB belong to modmad on tumblr.Magnus belongs to 0chromat on tumblr.





	1. Radiance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Radiance  
> noun  
> light or heat as emitted or reflected by something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terminology in the endnotes.

He was a performer, an entertainer, and his soulmark showed it. 

Designs covering one’s chest represented compassion and eagerness. Designs on only one side of the chest showed emotions that were hidden, locked away to protect others.

He had gold swirls of card suits and glitch-like lines over the right side of his chest. They went farther down his arm than was thought possible.

Designs on the arms represented strength and creativity. It showed the flowing ideas of a dreamer.

He had gold swirls of card suits and glitch-like lines along his right arm. They leaked more onto his chest than was thought possible.

He eagerly awaited the first time he would make eye contact and discover The One by the way his gold marks began to glow some brilliant shade of the rainbow. Through his job of acting, he hoped one day he’d run into whoever it was that had been designed for him. Designed for him the same way his marks were.

He grinned at the audience, his eyes glimmering with genuine excitement. He played in sitcoms and dramas and everything in between. He grew used to the false glow edited over his marks in countless romantic films. He sat through multitudes of interviews, all of which ended up asking some variant of the same question.

“Have you met your soulmate?”

“Do you have a soulmate?”

“How do you plan to find your soulmate?”

“Are you actively searching for your soulmate?”

He would always look at the camera and smile softly.

“I believe wholeheartedly in this soulmate thing. I will find them someday, and I look forward to that day. Whether life partner or lovebird, they will be my lantern.”

He received letters upon letters and emails from fans asking to meet and see if they were soulmates. He went out and met most of them, just for the sake of pleasing the people.

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t always hope that his marks would glow each and every time he met someone.

\------

He was a studious man, a scientist, and his soulmark only showed part of him. 

Designs across the eyes and cheeks represented a thoughtful and philosophical mind. Plenty of scholars and therapists has marks on their eyes and cheeks. Designs around only one eye showed a deceitful person, who could manipulate anyone and anything. Or so the legends said.

He had silver swirls of geometrical shapes and grayscale rainbows. They swirled around his left eye and tapered off as they fell down his cheek.

He didn’t concern himself much with finding The One. He was a man of science. Science said soulmates existed. He accepted this, and moved on. Fate would lead him to whoever had been designed for him. Designed for him the way his marks were.

His marks were a sign of shame for him. He was disowned by society just because his soulmark covered only one eye. Perhaps it was the way that everyone looked at him that drove him to staying up nights on end, mixing chemicals and catching the moonlight with prisms.

His cheekbones were marred with scars. Scars on his left from days where he decided that being deemed Soulless would hurt less than being called a liar before his mouth had opened. Scars on his right from days spent playing with dangerous hypotheses in the hopes that something would work to mirror the marks on the left side of his face.

He figured that his soulmate might not even want him. His soulmate would shy away from the touch of someone with a one-eye soulmark, frown at his scars, wince at his erratic behaviors. That was fine. He didn't need a soulmate to do what he needed to do.

The clock was counting down. Soon his plan would be complete. The TV buzzed with static, turned to no specific channel.

\------

They met on accident. 

The scientist sat under a tree, a small prism resting on his leg, tear tracks staining his cheeks and blood staining his coat.

The performer was searching for a place to relax, to take a break. He needed to escape, to run away, even if just for a day.

The glow was brilliant. In the darkness of the fall evening, colors burst, lighting the night.

He winced, the glow from around his eye blinding him for a moment. He adjusted to the sudden light, and looked up to see yellow, muted through the shirt and jacket of the man facing away from him.

His breath caught in his throat as the right side of his torso lit up. He tugged off his jacket, and the glow grew slightly brighter without the restriction. He turned smoothly, his gaze alighting on blue from under the tree.

The scientist didn’t move, frozen in shock (and a bit of fear). The performer took the few steps needed to stand next to the other, then dropped to his knees.

The performer offered a hand, his smile visible by the colored light of the two men. “My firefly.”

The scientist glanced between the offered hand and the yellow marks. "You don't want me," he said finally.

The performer frowned. "Why not?"

"I'm not good at relationships. I like my work more than any person I've met. Besides--" he looked down at the grass-- "no one would want a soulmate with my soulmark."

"What's wrong with them?" The performer adjusted his position so that he was sitting cross-legged. 

"What do you see?"

"All I see is a wise, handsome man with remarkable shapes and lines swirling around his eyes, glowing two beautiful shades of blue."

The scientist hesitated, then said finally, " _Both_ eyes?"

The performer tilted his head in slight confusion. "Yes."

The scientist breathed a sigh of relief, which turned into soft laughter, which turned into joyful tears as he leaned forward into the embrace of the performer.

The performer rested his head on top of the other's, placing light kisses on his head and murmuring compliments.

The scientist buried his face in the performer's chest, humming gently.

Somehow, the pair ended up lying down on the grass, half-asleep. The scientist's head rested on the performer's chest, and one of the performer's arms was draped over the scientist. Neither bothered to move or attempt to get up or even think about what they would do next. They stayed there, basking in the glow of each other and ignoring anyone who walked past as the sun came up. 

\------

The performer walked along the dim path happily, dragging the scientist by his wrist.

"Firefly, lantern, literal light of my life," the scientist began, "why are you making me do this?"

They finally came to a stop. The performer whirled around to face his soulmate, grinning. "You'll like it, trust me! And if anything becomes too much for you, let me know, darling."

"Alright."

The performer led the scientist into the building. Immediately, their senses were bombarded with the sounds of music and laughter. The room was not lit by overhead lights or candles, but the glow of soulmarks from pairs of soulmates.

The scientist pressed close to the performer, who simply smiled and greeted a couple who walked by.

"I, uh," the scientist began, but trailed off as his soulmate took a few steps away.

The performer smiled reassuringly as he turned. He gave a half-bow, offering a hand like he had the day they met. "Care to dance?"

The scientist stared at the other's hand. "I don't know how."

"I'll teach you."

He took his hand. The performer pulled his soulmate in, gently nudging his hands to the right position. "One." He stepped back. The scientist hesitated, then stepped forward so that he followed the performer's. The performer nodded.

"Two." The performer lightly pushed the scientist back. They stepped into their original position.

"Three." To the side.

"Four." Back again.

"One, two, three, four."

The night continued, light shining from their marks.

\------

The scientist was first.

The news drove ice into the performer's heart. He had left the set, despite being in the middle of filming. Movies could wait.

Months later, when he finally dared to visit, the lab was empty, cold, and dark. Words that the performer would never have described his soulmate with. The curtains on the windows had been pulled shut. Cautiously, he opened one. The light, the natural glare of the sun, shone on the empty, cold room.

At least it wasn't dark anymore.

Even so, it still didn't feel right for the area to be lit by something other than the TV or the glow of soulmarks. He lingered, trying to come up with a reason to stay, but couldn't.

Eventually, his head hanging and tears staining his cheeks, he left, cradling a prism to his chest.

It wasn't much longer before it was his turn.

He remembered a dark shape, and heat. Heat like he had never felt. Flames licking at his coattails.

And that was it. 

Hopefully he would see the radiance of his lover soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soulmate - The person one is destined to be with  
> Soulmark/Soulmarks - Tattoos that appear on one’s body sometime between the ages of 5 and 13 that glow when near one’s soulmate  
> Marks - Short for soulmarks  
> Designs - Somewhat uncommon slang for soulmarks  
> The One - Slang for soulmate  
> Life Partner - Slang for platonic soulmate  
> Lovebird - Slang for romantic soulmate  
> Lantern - Common pet name for one’s soulmate  
> Soulless - Someone who doesn’t have a soulmate (has no soulmarks)  
> Firefly - Common pet name for one’s soulmate


	2. Luminscence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luminescence  
> noun  
> the emission of light by a substance that has not been heated, as in fluorescence and phosphorescence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HALLELUJAH I GOT THIS FINISHED.
> 
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEEBS; THIS IS THE HAPPIEST PART OF THE FIC.

He was nothing but a sketch.

RGB wandered. It was all he could do, really. He still remembered waking up next to the painted river and glancing down just to see black lines surrounding white that must've been his glove. Something in his gut pulled at him, an instinct telling him to stay away from the water. He was cautious to not touch the liquid, but he leaned over it to look at his reflection.

He, for some reason, wasn’t surprised to find a floating TV where his head should’ve been.

RGB wandered.

He discovered more and more about himself and his new world, only to find that he was forgetting who he was before.

One day, he found a gold stain on his shirt, covering his right sleeve and part of his chest.

Or maybe he had found that stain the first day he had woken up.

It was easy to lose track of time here.

He couldn't take it much longer, the loneliness. Perhaps, if he really had died, he'd find others he had known.

"Firefly, lantern, literal light of my life," he mumbled, his static almost drowning out his words, "if you are here, find me."

\------

He was nothing but a sketch.

Magnus watched. It was all he could do, really. The light blinded him from time to time when it caught in his prism, but he learned how to manipulate it into color and energy. He regarded his lines with curiosity when he first woke up and as days passed. He watched as they shifted ever so slightly every day, thickening and thinning, curving and refining.

The prism that replaced his head was just another detail he accepted without question in this new world.

Magnus watched.

Observation was a critical part of the scientific method, after all. He learned of what he was (a monster) and where he was (the World of Make-Believe) and what he would become (Realized). He barely noticed that he had abandoned his discoveries of the natural human world in turn for these new ones.

He caught his reflection in a mirror, taking note of the barely visible silver shapes, like pencil marks across a face of his prism.

Vaguely, he wondered if those had been there since day one. 

He couldn’t remember.

The most vivid memory he had was of his lover, his _soulmate_. He tried not to concentrate on it.

“I’m fine with being alone.” He spoke to the nothingness ahead of him. Maybe, if he said it with enough conviction, he would convince himself too.

\------

They found each other on accident.

(RGB would later claim that he knew exactly what he was doing. Magnus would later scoff and shake his head from behind RGB when the latter made said claim.)

Panicked, incoherent mutterings escaped RGB as he scrambled away from the creature chasing him. He didn’t dare look back, out of fear of being entranced by what was visible in the creature’s reflective skin.

He ducked behind a tree, pressing himself against the trunk. His chest heaved as he caught his breath. He forced himself to be quiet, gloves scraping against the bark as he dug his fingers in. Perhaps to distract himself.

There was a crash, and the creature swiveled itself around, appearing in front of RGB. With a startled yelp, he tried to dart away, but instead tripped and fell. He rolled onto his back and came face to face with his tormentor.

He raised an arm defensively, though the colors blossoming across the creature were already starting to lure him.

Before he could entirely process what was happening, a figure appeared, seemingly from nowhere, in-between RGB and the creature. RGB watched in subtle awe as the newcomer raised his hands, manipulating light from some unseen source to drive off the creature.

Once the danger was gone, RGB’s saviour turned to him, prism tilted curiously. “Are you alright?” the prism-headed person asked.

RGB nodded, pushing himself to his feet.

“You're glowing,” the prism commented. It was RGB’s turn to tilt his head, though this time in confusion. He looked down and, sure enough, the gold shapes across his shirt were lit up yellow.

A beat passed were neither said anything, then RGB looked up quickly enough to give himself whiplash. Distressed static crept into his voice. “Magnus?”

Magnus's marks were lit up as well, the blue glow causing a strange effect as it reflected itself in his glass.

Strange, but somewhat pretty.

Magnus nodded, offering a hand. Shakily, RGB took it, allowing himself to be pulled close to his soulmate.

“We’re not safe here,” Magnus stated, even as he adjusted the position of his hands in order to hold RGB comfortably.

“I know,” RGB replied simply, sliding his arms over Magnus’s shoulders.

“The Vanity might come back,” Magnus continued, “or something else even worse might be attracted by our glow.” He pressed his prism lightly against RGB, trying not to scratch the latter's casing or screen.

“I know.” RGB leaned into Magnus’ embrace, humming happily.

"Come on," Magnus murmured, "Let's go somewhere safer."

"Okay."

\------

"RGB?"

RGB cast a glance behind him at the mention of his name. The pair had been exploring together for some time now. "What is it, Maggie?"

"Do you think you'll remember me once we're realized?"

The question made RGB stop dead in his tracks. Magnus kept walking but stopped after a few steps, turning to face his soulmate.

"What do you mean by that?" RGB asked. 

Magnus hesitated, thinking about how to phrase his statement. "Well, it's just that we've nearly forgotten our human lives. I wouldn't be surprised if we lose our memories of the World of Make-Believe once we go off to our stories."

RGB shrugged, beginning to walk again. "What brings this up?"

"We aren't going to be sketches forever, RGB. And you know we're not from the same story."

RGB growled. "We could be. We're soulmates, y'know."

"It's just bad design to have two characters like us. Our silhouettes are practically identical."

"You have a cloak."

"We're not even drawn the same way."

"Styles aren't always consistent."

"Stop living in denial, RGB!" Magnus reached up and flicked the TV's antennae. RGB flinched, whirling around to glare at Magnus.

RGB raised his hand and snapped.

Magnus got knocked down by the force of the cane slamming into his back. By the time he got up, sketched cane in his hand, RGB was already far enough down the road that the luminescence of his Magnus's was gone.

Magnus sighed and continued walking.


	3. Luster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luster  
> noun  
> a gentle sheen or soft glow, especially that of a partly reflective surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh well its uh. Been A While huh. whoops sorry about that
> 
> this chapter's a bit shorter than the last two so i feel bad heh but i mean! it was always gonna be shorter i just didn't intend for there to be nearly a yEAR OF HIATUS-
> 
> anyways please just take this and enjoy it alright, thanks for reading <3

This Hero had potential, and with every day RGB grew more hopeful that, maybe, this one would make it to the end and defeat Her.

Probably not, but sometimes optimism was a requirement in his business.

The Hero was young, younger than the previous ones, but she was doing well. She was emotional, caring… well, everything one could hope from a child. 

(She was young enough that her Soulmark hadn't appeared yet, and every so often RGB found himself wondering where it would be, what it would look like, based off his limited memories of the phenomenon. He never stopped to wonder if Soulmarks were even a thing where Hero came from.)

(But she didn't comment on the gold stain of his outline, the crisscrossing marks on his shoulder. So that was nice.)

So he let her run ahead a bit sometimes, never too much, and he would stand back and watch her with a bit of amusement. When he told her they were going to the market, she raised her fist and crowed, “TO THE MARKET!” with all that childish charm of hers. RGB had laughed. 

(He wasn't supposed to get attached, he chided himself, though that mentality was quickly fading.)

He was in the midst of an explanation about the inhabitants of the location they were in (the Market, of course) when Hero started staring at _him_ instead of their surroundings. 

“What is it?” he asked, adjusting his grip on his cane self-consciously.

“You're glowing,” she commented, pointing toward the muted yellow glow under his jacket.

“Ah.” He patted his shoulder, touching the dim marks. “So I am.”

RGB looked up, watching as the prism-head passed. Apparently Magnus didn't notice the glow.

Maybe he just didn't care.

In any case, Hero started grinning as she followed RGB's gaze. “Your soulmate!”

“Yes,” he responded meekly. “He was, once. It doesn't matter much here.”

The grin fell from the child's face. Silence stretched between the two.

RGB turned and kept walking.

\------

So caught up in the terror of Click, RGB didn't even notice that his marks were glowing again. Not until he was collapsed on the ground, his adrenaline rush fading, did he even see Magnus standing over him, offering a hand. 

He accepted, of course, stumbling a bit as Magnus hauled him to his feet. A quick glance around revealed that Hero was safe, distracted by the others. That thought in mind, RGB turned back to…

...well, his Soulmate.

“It’s been a while,” Magnus said simply. RGB reluctantly let go of his hand, reaching up to unmute himself.

“Yes, well, it was all for the best,” RGB replied. He didn’t sound like he believed it himself.

Silence, as RGB looked over Magnus, over his outline, his colors. “Did you ever forgive me?”

“Did you want me to?”

RGB wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he didn’t. 

Music played softly from some unknown source. RGB turned, falling into place in front of Magnus, gaze drifting over the gentle glow of the marks on the prism. He offered a hand, the nervous smile on his screen morphing into a more genuine grin. “One last dance before I go?”

Magnus took his hand, words tinted with amusement. “I’m not sure I remember how.”

“It’s alright,” RGB replied smoothly, hand finding its place on Magnus’s waist. “I’ll teach you.”

One, two, three, four.

And the glow of their marks blended into the night of the market.


End file.
